Does the screen on Apple’s M1 laptops have a weakness that causes some to suddenly crack? A growing number of customer reports on several online forums suggest that some of the displays on the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air machines, which launched in November 2020, are breaking for no clear reason.
The issue was highlighted this week by MacBook Pro owner Ian Probert, who told 9to5Mac that he recently opened his new laptop to find the display cracked, despite being certain he’d done nothing to cause it.
While some customers who’ve experienced the issue have been offered a free fix by Apple, others have been asked to pay. In Probert’s case, he was asked to hand over 570 British pounds (about $790) and was told that Apple technicians would examine the screen and decide later whether to refund the payment, depending on their assessment of how the damage had occurred. He’s still waiting to hear back.
In multiple posts across several pages on the Apple Support Community forum, customers claimed that a crack had suddenly appeared on their M1 MacBook without any obvious cause. “The laptop was sitting on my desk, and when I opened, it was broken and showing bars,” said one, while another wrote, “The laptop was in perfect condition when I last used it and had not been moved or touched until the next time the damage was noticed.”
Another owner wrote that after buying the M1 MacBook Air, “The screen cracked for no apparent reason. I left my computer on the top of my desk during the night, and the next day I opened it, the screen had two small cracks on the right, which damaged the functioning of the screen.”
Apple reportedly told the owner that the warranty didn’t cover the repair as it seemed likely that a small object between the screen and the keyboard had cracked the display when the laptop was closed. The customer, however, was adamant that the screen had been clear of any kind of obstruction.
Another message, this time on Reddit, said, “Opened new M1 13-inch MacBook, LCD is cracked … Haven’t dropped it or put any pressure on it, simply sitting on my desk and opened and the screen is black with lines on it, how could this have happened, I literally bought it a week ago?”
Some contributing to the discussion suggested a protector on the screen, keyboard, or camera may be causing the cracks, but those who replied said that this wasn’t the case.
Apple is yet to publicly acknowledge the complaints. Digital Trends has contacted the company for comment, and we will update this article if we hear back.
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